Fox Super Bowl team includes Mike Steavpack of Ashwaubenon

Graphics producers has 7 Emmys

Feb. 2, 2011

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This week

Steavpack's role: Research for the graphics, build electronic graphics that may be used at some point during the game, handle activities with the two teams, go to practice sessions, meet with staffs

During game

Produce and operate the "Fox Box" — the score clock in the upper left corner of screen that details down and distance, penalties, type of penalties, time outs, challenges and scoreboards going to and coming from the commercial break.He's also responsible for editorial content for graphics that air during the game.

Steavpack remembers Troy Aikman talking years ago while in Green Bay about his appreciation of the city and the Green Bay Packers.

"I'm a huge Vince Lombardi fan," Aikman said in a recent Green Bay Press-Gazette interview. "Whenever I'm asked, 'If you could have dinner with five people, who would they be?' A couple of them change depending on what kind of mood I'm in, but one guy's always at the table, and that's Vince Lombardi."Steavpack fueled that fire in telling Aikman a story from the Packers' 1996 Super Bowl run. John Madden at the time was doing his "All-Madden Team" for a CBS special to run on Super Bowl Sunday. One of the shoots took place in the basement rec room of Lombardi's home in Allouez."I haven't spent a lot of time with Coach Madden over the years, but I can tell you this: It was one of the rare moments that I saw him openly emotional," Steavpack said. "Being in that basement, being where he knew that Coach Lombardi would hold court and look film on the bar in his basement – a rec room like any other in Green Bay – I'm telling you, it was special."The tale was like throwing fresh bait at Aikman, who continued the story in the recent interview."I've got a portrait that I've had done of Vince Lombardi that I had in my office," Aikman said. "I used to own a car dealership, and I had it hanging in my office at the car dealership."One day I was in Green Bay early in my broadcasting career, and Mike Steavpack walked into the meeting room and said, 'Hey, you mind coming with me to get lunch? I want to show you something.' I said, 'Yeah, sure.'"So I went and got into his car, and he drove me up in front of this house and stopped. I said, 'What, you got to go get something?' He said, 'No, I just thought you'd want to see this. This is Vince Lombardi's home.'"Oh my gosh. I got out and I got a picture in front of it and everything else. I wanted to go knock on the door and walk in, but… Yeah, he's a guy I have immense respect for."Ditto Steavpack for Aikman:

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ASHWAUBENON — No matter what, the Green Bay area was going to be represented at Super Bowl XLV.

Mike Steavpack, who lives little more than a mile from Lambeau Field, will be in Dallas as graphics producer for Fox Sports. It will be his 11th Super Bowl.

"I've always loved television. I've always loved sports," he said, sitting at a kitchen island of his home. "And for me to be able to be on network television and do professional sports and live where I want to live, I am truly fortunate. "

He's looking forward to Super Bowl XLV to "be part of potentially the largest program ever watched in history."

Preparations in Dallas started Tuesday.

"Without question, there's more involved in this game than we do have in a normal NFL weekend," said Steavpack, 51.

Steavpack travels with Fox Sports' No. 1 broadcast team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who lives in Dallas.

"We will use Troy's house for a portion of the week as sort of like our home base for our production," Steavpack said. "He's in a couple of spots. We're familiar with his locale, and we'll kind of work from there as well our hotel in Las Colinas and, of course, the stadium."

Sunday's game will be a rarity for the Fox Sports team. It's the sixth in a row covering the same team (the Packers), starting with the last two crucial games of the regular season.

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"I'm not going to speak for everyone on our crew, but I know as a group we're excited about what we were able to witness," Steavpack said. "I think early on we knew that it was going to be special. The play of the quarterback, the play of the team as a whole was a very clear rise."

The Fox team likes "the access that the Packers have given Fox, the quality of the play, the quality of the players, the personalities on this team," Steavpack said. "I know Fox is thrilled to have the Packers and the Steelers in the Super Bowl. I don't think they could have scripted it any better."

Steavpack remembers Troy Aikman talking years ago while in Green Bay about his appreciation of the city and the Green Bay Packers.

“I’m a huge Vince Lombardi fan,” Aikman said in a recent Green Bay Press-Gazette interview. “Whenever I’m asked, ‘If you could have dinner with five people, who would they be?’ A couple of them change depending on what kind of mood I’m in, but one guy’s always at the table, and that’s Vince Lombardi.”

Steavpack fueled that fire in telling Aikman a story from the Packers’ 1996 Super Bowl run. John Madden at the time was doing his “All-Madden Team” for a CBS special to run on Super Bowl Sunday. One of the shoots took place in the basement rec room of Lombardi’s home in Allouez.

“I haven’t spent a lot of time with Coach Madden over the years, but I can tell you this: It was one of the rare moments that I saw him openly emotional,” Steavpack said. “Being in that basement, being where he knew that Coach Lombardi would hold court and look film on the bar in his basement – a rec room like any other in Green Bay – I’m telling you, it was special.”

The tale was like throwing fresh bait at Aikman, who continued the story in the recent interview.

“I’ve got a portrait that I’ve had done of Vince Lombardi that I had in my office,” Aikman said. “I used to own a car dealership, and I had it hanging in my office at the car dealership.

“One day I was in Green Bay early in my broadcasting career, and Mike Steavpack walked into the meeting room and said, ‘Hey, you mind coming with me to get lunch? I want to show you something.’ I said, ‘Yeah, sure.’

“So I went and got into his car, and he drove me up in front of this house and stopped. I said, ‘What, you got to go get something?’ He said, ‘No, I just thought you’d want to see this. This is Vince Lombardi’s home.’

“Oh my gosh. I got out and I got a picture in front of it and everything else. I wanted to go knock on the door and walk in, but… Yeah, he’s a guy I have immense respect for.”

Ditto Steavpack for Aikman:

“I was a fan of his as a player. I’ve become more of a fan of his as a person. He is a rare individual, both from his performance on the field – he’s a Hall of Famer, three Super Bowl wins – but a gracious, generous person and one that I have been very lucky to get to know very well and lucky to consider a friend.”